From Concerts to Cricket: Here Are the Unmissable Events in Sydney This Summer

Find yourself in the middle of a cross-town rivalry like no other, as the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers square off in the next edition of the Big Bash League’s Thunder Derby. With global superstars David Warner and Moises Henriques looking to lead their respective sides to victory, they’ll no doubt need help from their fans to cheer them on from the sidelines.  Plus, Sydney’s very own dance and R&B artist Becca Hatch will be gracing the stadium with her electronica beats and intoxicatingly smooth vocals. Get your pals together and head for the grandstands on Tuesday, December 21, where you’ll have the best seats in the house for fireworks on and off the ground.

Sydneysiders, are you ready to sit in the room where it happens? Lin-Manuel Miranda’s game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about international sensation Hamilton is back in town. The global phenomenon has returned to the Sydney Lyric Theatre and is the absolute last Australian season of the acclaimed production, so do not throw away your shot to see the biggest thing in musical theatre this century. There’s nothing like experiencing this in person, feeling the emotion of these world-class performances, stunning sets and costumes and being blown away by these landmark lyrics. Hamilton is truly a bucket list experience. Don’t miss your last chance to tick it off in Australia.

Rounding out Boxing Day with an unforgettable clash, the Sydney Sixers take on the Melbourne Stars in one of the Big Bash League’s most heated rivalries.  Dubbed ‘The Biggest Bash’, world-renowned cricket stars Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell will duke it out with the bat and ball to see who comes out on top.  Held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a packed house will scream their hearts out as all the high-octane event unfolds under the lights.  If that’s not enough drama for you, Aussie rap legend Baker Boy will be performing live at the match, serving up straight fire with his cultural beats. 

At virtual-reality experience Horizon of Khufu, you’ll get immersed in the past like it’s all around you. Patrons will see the Great Pyramids of Giza, including flying over the Giza Necropolis. You’ll climb to the top of the Pyramid of Khufu, in fact, and gaze out over Egypt with a 360-degree view. Australia joins France — where Horizon of Khufu debuted in 2022 — as well as the US, Canada and the UK in being able to enjoy this blast from the past. Unsurprisingly, it has proven popular around the globe, notching up more than one million visitors so far.

Luna Park has partnered with Lite-Brite’s creator, Hasbro, to create a new cinematic adventure that will delight visitors of all ages. Luna Park’s 3000-square-metre Big Top is the venue for this dazzling joyride, created by Emmy Award-winning content company Secret Location. Inspired by the pointillistic design of the Lite-Brite toy, this 40-minute, 360-degree installation transports the viewer to a series of fantastical worlds, from a dreamy oceanic plunge into the depths and a time hop back to the era of the dinosaurs to an intergalactic jaunt across the cosmos with a gang of friendly robots. Priced to meet the current moment of high living costs and low going-out budgets, Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder costs just $15 per adult to enter or just $12.50 per person if you visit as a group of four or more.

The good people at Cambridge Markets have organised artisanal events all over Sydney until Christmas week. Whether it’s gift shopping, a family day out or a wholesome date with your S/O, get your calendars and tote bags ready — it’s market time. Cambridge Christmas Markets are coming to various locations all over Sydney. For more information on dates and times, visit the Cambridge Markets website.

Mov’In Bed Outdoor Cinema is returning to Harbour Park for another summer — this time for a hefty four-month run between Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, March 23, 2025. The movie lineup features big names from 2024’s cinema releases, including the upcoming Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers)-starring Gladiator II. Haven’t seen Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Joker: Folie à Deux, Deadpool & Wolverine, Fly Me to the Moon or It Ends with Us yet? They’re also on the program. Prices start at $12 if you’re happy sitting on your own towel — with only 50 such tickets available each evening — and go up to $150 for the top level of Mov’In Bed’s West Hotel VIP area, where you’ll relax on a West Hotel signature mattress while enjoying bottomless popcorn and soft drinks.

A star-studded Friday night clash between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder gives the loser from the season’s first bout a chance to turn the tables. With the intercity rivalry bound to amp up the passion and drama, this headline-grabbing event represents one of the biggest matches on the Big Bash League’s calendar. Setting the Sydney Cricket Ground alight on Friday, January 17, the non-stop action delivered by some of the world’s best players ensures the buzz of the crowd resonates even louder.

It’s true of every great arts festival lineup: pick three highlights from the program at random and a clear snapshot of the event’s diverse array of experiences emerges. For a trio of picks from Sydney Festival’s just-announced 2025 bill that does exactly that, turning the Harbour City’s Town Hall into the wild west, exploring a true-crime case in an IRL courthouse, then getting Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator and Aliens filmmaker James Cameron chatting about shipwrecks all paint a clear picture. As it has done for 49 years now, this fest adores having something for everyone on offer. Sydney Festival 2025 runs from Saturday, January 4–Sunday, January 26 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, October 30, visit the Sydney Festival website.

Nostalgic hip hop and R&B festival Juicy is bringing Ludacris, Akon, and Jeremih down under in 2025. Coming to Sydney Saturday, January 18, Juicy Fest will have you bustin’ out dance moves to ‘Smack That’ and tracks from the most influential R&B and hip hop stars of the 90s, 2000s and 2010s.